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Another contemplation on the same. Perhaps also the changeable nature of the material things we handle, which are transferred and being transferred in various ways and have no firm foundation, except for the first principle according to which they are borne and bear wisely and providentially, and which, while being thought to be held by us, escape more than they are held, and as it were push away from themselves our desire—of us who endure being held by them—and are utterly unable to hold or be held, possessing as the only stable limit of their own nature to flow away and not stand still—was rightly called a plaything of God by the teacher, as one who through these things leads us on to the things that truly are, and are never shaken.

Another contemplation on the same. And if we ourselves, according to the present sequence of our nature, now being born in the likeness of the other animals on earth, then becoming children, then, like a short-lived flower, when youth has reached the wrinkle of old age, being about to die, and being transferred to another life, "were called a plaything of God" by this God-bearing teacher, it is not without reason. For compared to the future archetype of the divine and true life, the present life is a plaything, and anything else that is more unsubstantial than this. Which he shows more clearly in the funeral oration for Caesarius, saying thus: "Such is our life, brothers, of those who live for a time; such is the plaything on earth; to be born from not-being, and having been born to be dissolved; we are a dream that does not last, a phantom that cannot be grasped, the flight of a bird passing by, a ship on the sea that leaves no trace, dust, vapor, morning dew, a flower that grows in its season and in its season is undone, man, his days are like grass, as a flower of the field, so he will blossom, well did the divine David philosophize concerning our weakness."

(1417) These things, most blessed ones, concerning which you were perplexed in the most divine words of our great Father and teacher Gregory and commanded me to speak, I have spoken according to my ability. Rightly yielding to your command, I have spoken conjecturing, but not declaring. For our mind does not attain to the great and lofty thought of the God-bearing teacher, being still struck by many voluntary barbs of the passions, by whose bruises it rejoices more to be marked than to be purified by the graces of the virtues, having acquired a sin-loving disposition through long habit of evil. And if these things should seem to you to have some reason worthy of the subject, and not to be entirely lacking in truth, thanks be to God, who has enlightened my lowly (that He might work this wonder also) and groveling thought, and bestowed a measured word, to delineate the measure of what has been thought both for you who gave the command and who have accomplished everything by the help of your prayers. " But if I have not spoken correctly or have spoken incompletely and have strayed from the truth either wholly or in part " (for in this too I bring to you the great and divinely-revealed Dionysius as an advocate) , " it would be for your loving-kindness to correct one who is unintentionally ignorant, and who needs to learn, and to help one who does not have sufficient strength, and to heal one who does not wish to be sick, so that you may consecrate this also, with your other good deeds, or rather before the others, a precious offering and one more venerable than any sacrifice to God, your loving-kindness, to the One in heaven

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Ἄλλη θεωρία εἰς τό αὐτό. Τυχόν δέ καί τό μεταπτωτικόν ὧν ἐγχειρίζομεν ὑλικῶν πραγμάτων ἄλλην ἄλλως

μεταφερόντων τε καί μεταφερομένων, καί μηδεμίαν βάσιν ἐχόντων στερέμνιον, πλήν τοῦ πρώτου λόγου καθ᾿ ὅν φέρονται σοφῶς τε καί προνοητικῶς καί φέρουσι, καί τῷ κρατεῖσθαι ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν νομίζεσθαι, διαφευγόντων πλέον ἤ κρατουμένων, καί τήν ἔφεσιν ἡμῶν τῶν αὐτοῖς ἀνεχομένων κρατεῖσθαι, μᾶλλον ἑαυτῶν οἷον ἀπωθουμένων, καί κρατεῖν ἤ καρατεῖσθαι παντελῶς μή δυναμένων, οἷα δή μόνον σταθηρόν τῆς ἑαυτῶν φύσεως ὅρον κεκτημένων τό ἀποῤῥεῖν καί μή ἵστασθαι, παίγνιον εἰκότως ἐῤῥέθη Θεοῦ τῷ διδασκάλῳ, ὡς διά τούτων μετάγοντος ἡμᾶς ἐπί τά ὄντως ὄντα, καί μηδέποτε σαλευόμενα.

Ἄλλη θεωρία εἰς τό αὐτό. Εἰ δέ καί ἡμεῖς αὐτοί, κατά τήν καρατοῦσαν ἐπί τοῦ παρόντος τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν

ἀκολουθίαν, νῦν μέν καθ᾿ ὁμοιότητα τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπί γῆς ζώων γεννώμενοι, ἔπειτα παῖδες γινόμενοι, εἶτα ἄνθους ὡκυμόρου δίκην τῆς νεότητος ἐπί τό ῥίκνον τῆς παλαιότητος φθασάσης τεθνηξόμενοι, καί πρός ἕτερον βίον μετατιθέμενοι, "παίγνιον ἐρήθημεν τοῦ Θεοῦ" τῷ θεοφόρῳ τούτῳ διδασκάλῳ, οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ εἰκότος. Πρός γάρ τήν μέλλουσαν τῆς θείας καί ἀληθοῦς ζωῆς ἀρχετυπίαν ἡ παροῦσα συγκρινομένη ζωή παίγνιόν ἐστι, καί πᾶν εἴ τι ἄλλο τούτου καθέστηκεν ἀνουσιώτερον. Ὅπερ ἐν τῷ εἰς Καισάριον ἐπιταφίῳ δείκνυσι σαφέστερον, οὑτωσί λέγων· "Τοιοῦτος ὁ βίος ἡμῶν, ἀδελφοί, τῶν ζώντων πρόσκαιρα· τοιοῦτο τό ἐπί γῆς παίγνιον· οὐκ ὄντας γενέσθαι, γενομένους ἀναλυθῆναι· ὄναρ ἐσμέν οὐχ ἱστάμενον, φάσμα τι μή κρατούμενον, πτῆσις ὀρνέου παρερχομένου, ναῦς ἐπί θαλάσσης ἴχνος οὐκ ἔχουσα, κόνις, ἀτμίς, ἐωθινή δρόσος, ἄνθος καιρῷ φυόμενον καί καιρῷ λυόμενον, ἄνθρωπος ὡσεί χόρτος αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ, ὡσεί ἄνθος τοῦ ἀγροῦ, οὕτως ἐξανθήσει, καλῶς ὁ θεῖος ∆αβίδ περί τῆς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν ἐφιλοσόφησε."

(1417) Ταῦτα περί ὧν τοῖς θειοτάτοις τοῦ μεγάλου Πατρός ἡμῶν καί διδασκάλου Γρηγορίου λόγοις ἠπορήσατε καί εἰπεῖν ἐκελεύσατέ μοι, μακαριώτατοι, κατά τήν ἐμήν δύναμιν. Τῷ ὑμετέρῳ νεύματι δικαίως ὑπείκων ἔφην ἐγώ στοχαζόμενος, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἀποφαινόμενος. Οὐ γάρ ἐφικνεῖται τῆς μεγάλης καί ὑψηλῆς τοῦ θεοφόρου διδασκάλου διανοίας ὁ ἡμέτερος νοῦς, πολλαῖς ἔτι κατά θέλησιν ἀκίσι παθῶν βαλλόμενος, ὧν τοῖς μώλωψι μᾶλλον χαίρει στιζόμενος ἤ χάρισιν ἀρετῶν καθαιρόμενος, διά τήν μακράν τοῦ κακοῦ συνήθειαν ἕξιν λαβών φιλαμαρτήμονα. Καί εἰ μέν φανῶσιν ὑμῖν τινα λόγον ἔχειν τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἄξιον, καί μή πάντη τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπολειπόμενον, τῷ Θεῷ χάρις, τῷ τήν χαμαίζηλον (ἵνα καί τοῦτο θαυματουργήσῃ) καί χαμαιπετῆ διάνοιαν φωτίσαντι, καί λόγον σύμμετρον χαρισαμένῳ, πρός τό χαράξαι τήν συμμετρίαν τῶν νοηθένων καί ὑμῖν τοῖς ὑποτάξασι καί τῇ τῶν εὐχῶν βοηθείᾳ τό πᾶν κατορθώσασιν. " Εἰ δέ οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἤ ἀτελῶς καί τῆς ἀληθείας ἤ ὁλικῶς ἤ μερικῶς ἀποπεπλάνημαι " (τόν γάρ μέγαν καί θεοφάντορα κἀν τούτῳ σοι προσφέρω ∆ιονύσιον παρακλήτορα) , " τῆς σῆς ἄν εἴη φιλανθρωπίας ἐπανορθώσασθαι τόν ἀκουσίως ἀγνοοῦντα, καί μαθεῖν δεομένῳ, καί ἐπαμῦναι τῷ μή αὐτάρκη δύναμιν ἔχοντι, καί ἰάσασθαι τόν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα ἀῤῥωστεῖν, ἵνα καί τοῦτο μετά τῶν ἄλλων σου καλῶν, μᾶλλον δέ πρό τῶν ἄλλων, ἀνάθημα τίμιον καί πάσης θυσίας αἰδεσιμώτερον ἱερουργήσῃς τῷ Θεῷ τήν φιλανθρωπίαν, τῷ ἐν οὐρανῷ